As Drought Conditions Intensify, Calif. Gov. Newsom Calls on Californians to Take Simple Actions to Conserve Water

SACRAMENTO, California, July 9 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following executive order entitled "Californians to Take Simple Actions to Conserve Water":

WHEREAS communities across California are experiencing more frequent, prolonged, and severe impacts of climate change including catastrophic wildfires, extreme heat and unprecedentedly dry conditions that threaten the health of our people, habitat for species and our economy; and

WHEREAS severe drought afflicts the American West and increasingly warming temperatures driven by climate change exacerbate harmful drought effects including disruption of drinking water and irrigation supplies, degradation of fish and wildlife habitat, and heightened flammability of wildland vegetation; and

WHEREAS on April 21 and May 10, 2021, I issued proclamations that a state of emergency exists in a total of 41 counties due to severe drought conditions and directed state agencies to take immediate action to preserve critical water supplies and mitigate the effects of drought and ensure the protection of health, safety, and the environment; and

WHEREAS today, I issued a further proclamation of a state of emergency due to drought conditions in nine additional counties (Inyo, Marin, Mono, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz), and directed state agencies to take further actions to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses, and ecosystems; and

WHEREAS drought conditions present urgent challenges, including the risk of drinking water shortages in communities, greatly increased wildfire activity, diminished water for agricultural production, adverse impacts on fisheries, and additional water scarcity if drought conditions continue into next year; and

WHEREAS agriculture is an important economic driver in California that has made significant investments in irrigation efficiencies such that nearly 70 percent of the nation's farmland using drip and micro-irrigation is located in California, and despite that investment, many agricultural producers are experiencing severe reductions in water supplies and are fallowing land in response to current dry conditions; and

WHEREAS action by Californians now to conserve water and to extend local groundwater and surface water supplies will provide greater resilience if the drought continues in future years; and

WHEREAS during the 2012-2016 drought, Californians did their part to conserve water, with many taking permanent actions that continue to yield benefits; per capita residential water use statewide declined 21 percent between the years 2013 and 2016, and has remained on average 16 percent below 2013 levels as of 2020; and

WHEREAS local water suppliers and communities have made strategic and forward-looking investments in water recycling, stormwater capture and reuse, groundwater storage and other strategies to improve drought resilience; and

WHEREAS there is now a need to augment ongoing water conservation and drought resilience investments with additional action to extend available supplies, protect water reserves in case drought conditions extend to a third year and maintain critical flows for fish and wildlife.

NOW THEREFORE, I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, do hereby issue the following order to become effective immediately.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

1) To preserve the State's surface and groundwater supplies and better prepare for the potential for continued dry conditions next year, and to join existing efforts by agricultural water users, public water systems, and governmental agencies to respond to water shortages, I call on all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent from their 2020 levels. Commonsense measures Californians can undertake to save water and money include:

a. Irrigating landscapes more efficiently. As much as 50 percent of residential water use goes to outdoor irrigation, and much of that is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. Watering one day less per week, not watering during or immediately after rainfall, watering during the cooler parts of the day and using a weather-based irrigation controller can reduce irrigation water use, saving nearly 8,800 gallons of water per year.

b. Running dishwashers and washing machines only when full. Full laundry loads can save 15-45 gallons per load. Full dishwasher cycles can save 5-15 gallons per load.

c. Finding and fixing leaks. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste nearly 3,200 gallons per year.

d. Installing water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers. Keeping showers under five minutes can save 12.5 gallons per shower when using a water-efficient showerhead.

e. Using a shut-off nozzle on hoses and taking cars to commercial car washes that use recycled water.

The State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) shall track and report monthly on the State's progress toward achieving a 15-percent reduction in statewide urban water use as compared to 2020 use.

2) State agencies, led by the Department of Water Resources and in coordination with local agencies, shall encourage actions by all Californians, whether in their residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural, or institutional use, to reduce water usage, including through the statewide Save Our Water conservation campaign at SaveOurWater.com, which provides simple ways for Californians to reduce water use in their everyday lives.

3) The Department of Water Resources shall monitor hydrologic conditions such as cumulative precipitation, reservoir storage levels, soil moisture and other metrics, and the Water Board shall monitor progress on voluntary conservation as ongoing indicators of water supply risk that may inform future drought response actions.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 8th day of July 2021.

GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California

ATTEST: SHIRLEY N. WEBER, PH.D. Secretary of State